Chapter Ten - The First Mission

He could feel the air burning in his lungs as he ran and his legs straining with everything it took to keep him going. Should he choose to stop now would mean certain death and he really did plan to live for a few more years. The dense over hang of the trees and the shadows they provided excellent coverage for him, but he knew that they would not hinder his pursuer. It was to run and maybe live...

Forcing some energy down into his feet, the fleeing boy jumped and was vaulted up into a nearby tree. He could see the shimmer of light nearly a hundred yards away. The end of the forest... his freedom was so close he could taste it. Willing himself to go faster, the boy jumped for tree to tree, watching as the light got closer... and closer.

"Harry-kun!" a particularly annoying voice cried out as he made touchdown on the ground at the forest's edge and then he felt arms wrap around him as he was caught in a full body tackle.

He couldn't even cry out in shock because he so exhausted as they went down to hit the grass. Laughter rang out around him and panting like hell; he rolled over and nearly crushed Ino in the process. Shikamaru and Choji were snickering silently next to Ron who was nearly bursting a gut he was laughing so hard and Hermione... who was scowling.

"Looks like Ino got you this time Harry" the lazy genin chuckled as he tried to fake it for a yawn.

"She gets him ever time!" Ron crowed. "But he did do better this time"

"Ron, leave him alone" Hermione frowned as she continued to glare at Ino.

Harry could only keep panting for breath. Why did he have be stuck with his very own stalker as a training partner ever time Team 10 stopped by? His friends must really get a kick out of watching him get plastered a girl who had, as far as he could tell, too many dirty things on her mind.

"Umm... Ino... need... to... breathe..."

The blonde kunochi suddenly looked around him to see that her arms were wrapped around him so tightly that his face was turning blue.

"Gomen!" she cried, pushed him aside and hopped to her feet, earning more laughter from her teammates.

Harry was relieved to finally get his chance to sit up.

"Please don't try to kill me next time..." he sighed.

The girl just blushed and let out a small giggle at the same moment that Kakashi and Asuma appeared in the clearing.

"Yo!" Kakashi smiled. "She got you again, didn't she Harry?"

"Shut up"

"Ino, what have I told you about molesting the new kid?" Asuma asked shaking his head.

"Hey! It wasn't anything like that!" the young wizard andkunochi shouted at the same time.

The two jounin exchanged mocking looks of disbelief.

"Sure..."

But at least the cigarette smoking of the pair just smiled and rounded up his team. Goodbyes were exchanged as the four departed to continue training on their own training grounds and Harry couldn't be happier. Hermione also started to smile again once the annoyances were gone (well Kakashi was still there, but she had gotten used to him by now).

Ron wasn't helping though. He was lavishly describing to their teacher how Ino had whooped his ass. Then again neither was Kakashi helping by laughing at everything the redhead told him.

"It's not funny!" he snapped. "You always put with her so she can torture me"

"Don't think of it as torture Harry - think of it as lessons in survival"

"Bullshit"

"Anyway," the silver haired man grinned behind his mask. "We have a mission"

Harry and Ron traded glances.

"It isn't weeding gardens or catching cats for old ladies again is it?"

Kakashi at least had the decency to mock looking insulted.

"Nooo and I do hope you three will be serious this time. The Hokage just told me that we are being sent to discuss a treaty... with Sand Country"

Now it was Hermione's turn to speak. "We are going to Suna?"

"That what I said"

"But don't the Sand Nins hate the Leaf Nins?"

"Yes"

"Then why exactly are we going? Can't someone with more experience be sent on a suicide mission?"

Kakashi sweatdropped. "The reason our team was chosen for this task was because of two reasons: First was your lack experience - you need to be able to prove yourselves. Second was that since the three of you aren't technically shinobi, you would be therefore uncorrupt by the politics that effect the Hidden Villages"

But the burnet witch looked unconvinced. Her face was set in that expression of 'I've made up my mind and you are not going to change it'. And in Harry's heart, something sank.

"I won't do it"

"But it's an order"

"Well I won't" Hermione snapped.

"You promised loyalty to the village when you came here" Kakashi reminded her, trying not to piss her off even more.

But Hermione was set on what she thought. "I am not going to risk my life when the chance of getting killed is a thousand times greater then living, because if you th-"

"Come on Hermione!" Ron suddenly smiled as he cut her off. "It'll be educational for you - for us. We haven't gotten to travel outside Konoha for the last two months. It's already October and we haven't yet had one real mission. I can't help but feel weak when I listen to the others talk about what they've done and I'd like to be ready for the Chuunin Exams that take place in four months! I mean Professor Dumbledore sent us here for a reason and that was to learn new things that will help us in the future. I don't mean to borate you or anything, but you won't be able to make it by on just learning thing from books"

"I know you're strong," he continued. "I've seen what you can do. When you need to, you pack a nasty punch and I'm sure that both Kakashi and I can vouch for that. But we need to get more experience. Defeating You-Know-Who last year was nothing because he's still around... and he's not the only enemy anymore. Think of Harry's dream..."

"Well... I..." Hermione could barely speak, having been so shocked my Ron's use of diplomacy.

"Who wants war?" the redhead added. "I don't and if we can help with making sure that it doesn't happen, then I'm all up for that. What do you think Harry?"

The attention of the group was suddenly on the green eyed boy once again.

Harry smiled. "I think it's a great idea"

Hermione crossed her arms. "You just want to get away from your girlfriend"

His face turned red. "Of course I do and she is not my girlfriend! But this is different"

"Don't worry so much Herimone" Kakashi finally said. "The Kazekage of Sunagakure knows that we are coming so we'll be perfectly safe... and if were not, I'm certain you three will be able to handle yourselves"

They all held their breaths while they waited for Hermione to make her decision. And after what felt like an eternity, the girl finally through up her arms in exasperation.

"Fine, I'll do it"

At it was celebrated with Ron getting a smack upside the head. Some times you just can't win.

.-

That night was sent preparing their supplies for the mission as well as getting a good night's sleep. With Hermione fussing half the night about safety precautions, the two boys had been ready fall asleep even before six thirty. And then the morning came too soon. It was spent having breakfast and Hermione trying to force Konohamaru, who had stopped by to wish Ron good luck, out of house. It didn't end well that's for sure. The younger boy said she looked a demented buck toothed rabbit and she retorted by smacking him upside the head and then dragging him out of the apartment kicking and screaming. Also for the first time in since Sakura's Howler, Kakashi showed up late.

Although the silver haired man survived the beating he received for it with mere bumps and bruises, his excuse had been genuine enough to save him from certain death (the power had gone out causing the time on his alarm clock got screwed up and the backup batteries inside the clock were way to old to work anyway).

And leaving Konoha that morning had been the easy part. Hiking through the vast hills and forests of Fire Country had been a simple task and it was amazing that it only took the four travelers two days to reach the edge of the grasslands and venture out into the desert. But once they were there, they all kind of wished they hadn't. The heat of the sun baked down over Sand Country so furiously that everything appeared barren and dry. That also caused poor Ron to start complained the whole time. He wasn't really at fault for it since all his cloths were so heavy, not to mention that due to his fair skin and red hair he was beginning to look like a roast turkey. And so on the third day of their journey through the desert, it was clear that they all in need of a rest.

After finding a shaded gully, the three youth collapsed with exhaustion.

"If I wasn't so hot, I'd kill you right now..." Hermione sighed as she dropped down to sit upon the closet sand dune.

"Which one of us though?" Ron panted weakly as he tried to get his sweat-soaked shirt to dry and causing his already burned skin to crisp some more.

The brown hair girl glowered at him tiredly.

"Not sure yet... but I think it would be nice to get rid of all three of you"

"What a lovely thought" Harry commented dryly. "Then again if I wasn't so tired, I'd be doing it myself"

Kakashi could only look at the trio and shake his head. It was a change and a challenge to deal with these three more and less then it had been with Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura. Everything was different. But as he had more tolerance, the silver hair jounin ignored the heat and the moans of his pupils to sit back and start to read some more of his ever constant dirty novel companion.

"Why do we have to travel during the day?" Ron suddenly asked. "I would be easier to do it at night wouldn't it?"

But Kakashi was too lost in his book by then to hear the boy's question.

"Stupid pervert..."

Rolling his eyes, Ron left to go sit with Harry and Hermione. Together they flopped back upon the sand and closed their eyes for a rest... just a sort rest...

.-

The sound of soft snoring caused Ron Weasley to jerk awake in disoriented confusion. The sun had already begun to set and the air had taken on a slight relaxing chill. How long had he been asleep? Looking around he noticed that Hermione was curled up into a ball and Harry lay snoring with his mouth open next to her. But while all their provisions still remained, Kakashi was gone. Not wanting to wake his friends, the red haired boy decided to take a walk.

The walk out of the gully was refreshing and just to look at pinks and rubies of the darken sky was very tranquilizing. And it was only while he was stifling another yawn that he felt the air grow cold. His eyes snapped up to survey the sands around him. It was too quite now and the world felt hollow and dead. It was the feeling of being hunted...

There was the sound of crunching sand, but there was no life other then he to be seen. Dropping down into a crouch, Ron remained silent and waited.

Then suddenly a wave of sand rose up around him. It swirled dangerously as it began to take on the form of a very large snake.

"Bloody hell!" Ron shouted and turned to run.

But the sand snake stayed with him. No matter which way he ran, the beast followed. Although he was managing to dodge its many striking blows and advances, Ron knew he wouldn't have a chance at stopping it... and that meant he was a done for...

... And then a voice came.

"Tei: Shippuu Kaze!"

A great gale of wind suddenly dropped down upon the snake and tore it apart down to every single gain. The assaulting sand then dropped itself back to the earth from whence it came.

"Shit! Thanks Hermione!"

"No problem Ron" the girl answered as she and Harry came running up to join him.

"Are you alright?" Harry asked. "What was that thing?"

"One bloody big snake made of sand!" the red head gasped and began to wave his arms about. "It was a huge sucker and it defiantly wasn't friendly"

"Yes..." Hermione nodded. "And I don't think I really want to meet the person who was controlling it"

The two boys looked at her before tensing and looked around themselves as they prepared for another attack. It came sooner then they anticipated, the sand once again rising for the ground to try and smother them with its awesome power. Prepared this time, Ron and his friends went into action. Hermione was quick to summon up her hurricane winds and Harry to summon down the mother of all lightning bolts.

"Get ready to close your eyes..."

Wanting to do his part and to do it good, Ron's hands flew into the pattern of a very familiar jutsu...

"Hikari: Taiyo Bakuhatsu!"

At his command, a blinding light filled the darkened desert with the intensity of the sun and cries of shock and pain could be heard for somewhere beyond the light. When it finally faded, three strange youth were clearly visible.

The first was a girl of about fourteen holding one big whooper of a battle fan, the second was a boy of about the same age dressed all in black and the last was another boy about their age with a strange gourd strapped to his back and a hand outstretched.

He was their attacker.

They didn't have a chance to prepare this time. Faster then they could blink the raccoon eyed boy commanded another attack. Seconds later Ron found himself looking down at his chest in bewildered shock. At its center a bight red stain had begun to form and spread out.

"Ron!"

He could barely hear Hermione's voice as his knees gave out and he began to fall.

"Ron!"

It was Harry's voice this time calling to him, telling him not to go. But everything had begun to blacken around the edges and then he knew no more.